The Best Clear American Spirits

Cold River Vodka

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Credit: Photograph by Michael Pirrocco

Hearing Cannon talk about this vodka is like listening to an organic evangelist wax poetic: "Heirloom potatoes. Biodynamic farming. Small batch. Made in a beautiful pot still in a farmhouse in a field up in Maine." But Cannon is fast to say that, no matter how environmentally and socially conscious a distiller is, the spirits coming off of their stills have to be quality. On that front, Cold River delivers. "They've achieved an amazingly high quality, neutral distillate," Cannon says. And because potato vodkas tend to play well with citrus, he suggests that you mix Cold River with two parts fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Rim your highball glass with a little salt, and you've got what's called a "Salty Dog." Enjoy. [$35/750ml; mainedistilleries.com]